Kodiak wrestling reloads for new seasonVeteran wrestling coach Pat Costello doesn’t beat around the bush when assessing Kodiak’s 2014-2015 team. “It will be a growing season,” the Bears’ assistant coach and former head coach said. If kids progress like they have in the past we should be OK. We won’t be a strong contender, but we will be OK.” That is what happens when a team only returns three state place winners from a year ago, and loses several key c...

Truck catches fire downtownIf you think the truck that caught fire Wednesday on Shelikof Street is part of a drill for firefighters, think again. The owner, who did not want to be identified, said he started his 1985 Ford F250 and left it to warm up as he made a phone call while in the Pacific Seafoods employee parking lot. He turned around three minutes later to see smoke coming out of the engine and flames slithering from under the hood. ...

Kodiak searching for home opponentsThe 4A wrestling classification has shrunk from 20 teams to 17 teams for the 2014-15 season. Southeast Conference schools Juneau-Douglas, Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan have moved to the 1A/2A/3A classification for this season, that ends in mid-December. That leaves just three classifications at the 4A level — Cook Inlet, Northern Lights and Mid-Alaska Kodiak coach Pat Costello said losing those three schools hurt...

Pier 1 construction rescheduled Construction on Kodiak’s Pier 1 has been temporarily suspended to allow the state to get a marine mammal permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service, according to a statement from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Construction should resume next fall and be completed by summer 2016. “The work stoppage was necessary to ensure that state ferry service to Kodiak will not be disrupted by an...

School Board gets high school updateThe Kodiak Island School District Board of Education received a Kodiak High School renovation project update and revised part of the district’s bylaws at Monday’s regular meeting. The district’s director of facilities, Greg Hecker, gave an update on the progress of the Kodiak High School renovation. Hecker said there has been lots of finishing work in the school. He said the project reached a milestone this week w...

Alaska State Troopers: Nov. 20November 13 • At 4:35 p.m., Alaska State Troopers received a report of a crash on the Chiniak Highway. The investigation revealed that a Washington man in a truck tried to pass a van attempting a left hand turn onto the Saltery Cove Trail road and struck the van. There were no injuries but the truck was totaled. The truck driver was cited for failing to exercise due care. The truck driver and the two people in the...

Bernard: No criminal intent in fatal stabbingLucien Bernard believes there was no criminal intent involved when a Kodiak man with a history of criminal charges ended up fatally stabbing another with a 12-inch curved knife. Bernard, a disabled Vietnam War veteran who has lived in Kodiak for 20 years, said the two men were part of the Second Chance for Men, a local program to celebrate and promote recovery. In an interview with the Kodiak Daily Mirror, Bernard...

Captain charged with DUI after grounding incident The 134-foot freight landing craft Polar Bear is moored at a downtown Kodiak pier and its captain charged with driving under the influence after a Sunday grounding incident. Edward Dyer, 50, has also been charged with reckless endangerment and fourth-degree assault, according to a news release from the Kodiak Police Department. Dyer was not onboard when the Polar Bear ran aground again Monday afternoon about a mil...

Public Safety Blotter: Nov. 19November 2 • At 1:27 a.m., a 911 caller reported larceny on Selief Lane. It was a civil matter, and they were advised of their options. • At 1:09 a.m., police conducted a bar check on Shelikof Street. • At 1:20 a.m., police gave a “no bars” advisement to a person who was drunk in public on Center Avenue. • At 1:21 a.m., police conducted a bar check downtown. • At 1:29 a.m., police gave a “no bars” advisement to a ...